Historical Perspective

Some who have heard of Ron Paul tend to be confused on how he could have such disparate views. He's against the Iraq War but for going after terrorist groups. He believes in sound money and free trade, yet doesn't support NAFTA. He's supportive of pro-life activists, and also supportive of alternative medicine. He wants to allow parents to have school prayer if they wish, but also wants to do away with the Department of Education and the IRS.

How all of these tie together is the Constitution, and specifically the 10th Amendment—the Power of the States & the People. Ron Paul's philosophy is quite simple: the federal government is not in a position to mandate singular national standards unless it is the will of the people. Local communities and state governments should have greater authority to set standards which work for them. His consistent approach to all issues is quite Jeffersonian. Here are some key historical thoughts to consider:

• The Constitution is a mandate against a large, central government. Thomas Jefferson, who feared tyranny and thought in terms of freedom, successfully argued this point against Alexander Hamilton, who feared anarchy, thought in terms of order, and admired the British monarchy.
• Smaller government means individuals have more resources and funds to impact their local communities and states.
• When individuals have more control and there is less government intervention, there tends to be more creative energy and charity (e.g., Andrew Carnegie used his personal wealth to build thousands of libraries in the 1800s, and church-run hospitals provided low-cost health care throughout the 19th and 20th centuries)
• Both Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin warned against too much government authority. More federal programs means more politicians and lobbyists divvying up the pie (and taking their cut) before sending money back to the states.
• The more difficult the issue, the more need there is for local decision making rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' for the nation.
• The Founding Fathers believed in true free trade, commerce, friendship, travel and diplomacy with all, entangling alliances with none.

These basic principles can be applied to any Ron Paul position. One example would be the Department of Education, which did not exist prior to 1980. Dr. Paul believes the department should be eliminated because it is an extra bureaucratic layer, and one that has not improved our children's education relative to the rest of the world. He feels we would be better served by sending the department's budget back to states and local communities.

This would allow parents, teachers and local officials to decide how the money should be used. Creative ideas would flourish from the masses, and the best ideas would spread to other districts and regions. Eventually this would lead to market-driven advocacy groups to provide oversight and direction, rather than government-created entities. Dr. Paul's belief is free market forces will always do a better job than the government can.

As a footnote, my personal opinion is this policy approach has become a much more intriguing option due to the existence of modern communication. The spread of cell phones and the Internet allows idea-sharing among the masses. In the past, communities may have created great ideas, but had no easy method of mass distribution.